Troubleshooting Color Shifts in Qimage Ultimate: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview:

Users of Qimage Ultimate, a powerful image printing software, have reported unexpected color shifts, particularly in black and white prints. This tech overview addresses the issue, offering a step-by-step guide to diagnose and solve the problem. The goal is to assist users in achieving accurate and consistent print results.

Symptoms: 

Users notice a sepia tone in black and white images, specifically when using the latest versions of Qimage Ultimate. Despite correct settings and calibration, the issue persists, affecting prints on different computers and printers.

Initial Diagnosis: 

A forum user suggests exploring rendering intent, driver settings, and color control modes as potential causes for the color shift. The discussion raises questions about how Qimage controls driver settings and applies custom ICC profiles.

Investigative Steps:

1. Driver Control by Qimage:
   • Qimage controls driver settings, disabling Color Management when an ICC profile is chosen. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for further diagnosis.
2. Identifying the Root Cause:
   • The user identifies a new setting in the latest Qimage version: "always set driver print quality to the highest available." This setting introduces an unintended magenta cast in black and white prints, caused by excess ink application.
3. Solution: Adjusting Settings:
   • Unchecking unnecessary settings, leaving only automatic color management, resolves the color shift issue. The user discovers that print quality settings, specifically the choice between "quality" and "maximum quality," significantly impact color reproduction.
4. Comparison with Older Qimage Version:
   • To confirm the findings, the user prints the same image with an older Qimage version, adjusting print quality settings. The result highlights the importance of specifying paper type and quality settings in creating accurate printer profiles.

Key Learnings: 

Understanding the intricate relationship between software settings, driver control, and print quality settings is crucial for achieving consistent and accurate print results. The user's experience emphasizes the need to consider paper type and quality settings when creating printer profiles to avoid color shifts.

Conclusion: 

Diagnosing and resolving color shifts in Qimage Ultimate involves careful consideration of software settings, particularly the new "always set driver print quality to the highest available" option. Users are encouraged to be mindful of the impact of print quality settings on color reproduction and to specify paper type and quality for accurate printer profiles.

For more in-depth tech insights and problem-solving guides, follow BCH Technologies' YouTube Channel, explore our Tech blog, or visit our local store in Greensboro, North Carolina. Achieve precise and vibrant prints with Qimage Ultimate.